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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: temple · can · band · current · lash · bass · ball · tube

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. can — a tin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. band — a music group
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. current — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ball — a dance
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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