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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 · capital · suit · wake · key · ruler · band · last

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. last — final
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. band — a music group
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. last — finally
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. band — a ring
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — money
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wake — a trail
  21. last — to go on
  22. suit — in cards
  23. capital — a city
  24. key — the most important part

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