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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · band · rule · rush · mug · wind · hide · date

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mug — a cup
  17. band — a ring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. band — a music group
  20. rule — a law
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rule — government

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