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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: temple · lash · shower · club · bass · last · ruler · object

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. club — for dancing
  5. last — finally
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the fish
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. last — to go on
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — final
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. bass — low music
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. object — a thing

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