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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: content · rule · bass · fine · racket · lean · temple · drill

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fine — all right
  3. rule — government
  4. content — happy
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — low music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. drill — the tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. fine — high quality
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. content — the amount
  20. drill — a practice
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — to rule out

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