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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: rule · band · rest · temple · deal · saw · season · track

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. track — a song
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — a path
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — government
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — a break
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — of the year
  18. band — a music group
  19. season — in sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — to handle
  22. band — a ring
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — a big deal

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