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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: stand · ground · wound · ruler · content · date · file · temple

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ground — crushed
  13. content — happy
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. ground — a position
  18. date — the fruit
  19. file — a document
  20. stand — to bear
  21. content — the amount
  22. file — a tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. temple — a place of worship

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