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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · file · ruler · club · spring · temple · stock · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a document
  5. club — for golf
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — of water
  18. club — for dancing
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spring — a coil
  21. club — a group
  22. spring — the season
  23. file — a line of people
  24. band — a music group

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