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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: chair · ruler · bass · kick · pop · object · wound · temple

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. object — a thing
  5. chair — a leader
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wound — an injury
  8. object — an aim
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pop — music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. object — to protest
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pop — soda
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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