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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: drill · temple · lie · last · game · current · rule · ball

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lie — to recline
  6. current — electric
  7. last — final
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. current — of water
  10. ball — a great time
  11. last — to go on
  12. game — wild animals
  13. drill — the tool
  14. last — finally
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a dance
  21. game — a match
  22. drill — army training
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. drill — a practice

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