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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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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: mug · temple · bat · bank · firm · wind · rule · toast

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bat — the animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. firm — steady
  8. wind — moving air
  9. firm — decided
  10. mug — a face
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. toast — bread
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — a company
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — a law
  23. mug — a cup
  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