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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: temple · staff · pop · rule · mouse · last

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rule — government
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. pop — to visit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. last — to go on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. last — final
  15. rule — a law
  16. last — finally
  17. pop — soda
  18. rule — to rule out

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