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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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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: wake · band · temple · foot · rest · saw · fall · rule

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. band — a music group
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wake — a trail
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rule — government
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rule — a law
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rest — a break
  20. fall — the season
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fall — to drop

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