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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 · wake · lash · scale · temple · club · straw · mark

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rule — a law
  5. club — a group
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. club — for dancing
  12. scale — in music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. scale — size or range
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. mark — a trace
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. club — for golf
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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