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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 120 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: tube · ruler · squash · temple · lie · bass · bat · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. band — a ring
  2. tube — a container
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. tube — the underground
  5. squash — the sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. band — a music group
  12. bass — the fish
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lie — to recline
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lie — an untruth
  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