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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: band · rash · toast · temple · date · cap

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. toast — bread
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rash — a series
  8. cap — a hat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — of ice
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a ring
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. band — a music group
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cap — a lid
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rash — hasty

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