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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: straw · bound · temple · land · band · ruler · leaves · pit

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. land — to come down
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. band — a music group
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bound — certain
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. band — a ring
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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