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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: rule · leaves · hand · bass · band · cue · dip · bore

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. band — a music group
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rule — a law
  8. bass — low music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rule — government
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hand — in cards
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. band — a ring
  18. bore — to drill
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cue — a hint
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cue — a signal
  24. hand — help

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