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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. game — a match
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rule — a law
  17. band — a music group
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rule — government
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com