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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. band — a ring
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. file — a tool
  10. band — a music group
  11. court — for sport
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. file — a document
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. court — of law
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lie — to recline
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. court — of a king
  24. file — a line of people

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