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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 120 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: rule · hide · band · temple · race · current · pit · swing

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rule — government
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pit — in a race
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — electric
  9. band — a ring
  10. swing — music
  11. race — humankind
  12. rule — a law
  13. band — a music group
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — a contest
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pit — a hole
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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