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

Word bank: bat · temple · stick · rock · drill · bass · tear · ruler

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — army training
  9. tear — from crying
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bass — low music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tear — from crying
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bass — the fish
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rock — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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