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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 · straw · wind · rule · race · lash · wave · temple

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. band — a ring
  8. race — humankind
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wind — moving air
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rule — a law
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. band — a music group
  18. race — a contest
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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