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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: swing · wake · rule · mouse · pitcher · temple · tear · bass

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rule — government
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bass — the fish
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bass — low music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rule — a law
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — music

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