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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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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: date · toast · cabinet · temple · band · stick · file · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. band — a music group
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. file — a line of people
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. band — a ring
  12. file — a tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. toast — bread
  18. file — a document
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. cabinet — ministers

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