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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.

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: bass · band · file · content · ruler · season · bore · stem

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. band — a music group
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. band — a ring
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a tool
  10. content — happy
  11. season — of the year
  12. bore — to drill
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bass — low music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. content — the amount
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stem — to come from
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bore — to tire

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