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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: band · arm · staff · cold · rush · temple · stick · ruler

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. band — a ring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. staff — employees
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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