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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: charge · temple · land · chest · band · ruler · pop · bank

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. pop — soda
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chest — a box
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a ring
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. charge — a price
  10. land — ground
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. charge — in control
  17. pop — to visit
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — to come down
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — a country
  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