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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: last · temple · wave · rule · band · hand · bank · rock

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. rule — government
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hand — in cards
  5. band — a ring
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. band — a music group
  14. last — final
  15. bank — for money
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rule — a law
  18. rock — music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bank — for money
  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