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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · straw · hide · march · temple · rule · stock · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — goods
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bass — low music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stock — shares
  15. rule — a law
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rule — government
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. march — music

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