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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.

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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: temple · bass · band · rush · fine · straw · rule · pop

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pop — soda
  5. fine — high quality
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bass — the fish
  13. band — a music group
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pop — music
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. band — a ring
  19. rule — a law
  20. bass — low music
  21. fine — all right
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rule — government

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