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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
468
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 · lie · bass · temple · press · tube · pound · scale

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tube — a container
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. press — to push
  8. scale — in music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. scale — size or range
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bass — low music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rule — government
  24. lie — an untruth

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