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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: rush · spring · tear · temple · band · pass · file · rock

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. band — a ring
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. spring — a coil
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. band — a music group
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rock — a stone
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a document
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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