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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: stock · band · present · stick · file · fan · temple · safe

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — shares
  6. band — a music group
  7. present — a gift
  8. file — a tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. present — the time now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. present — there
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — goods
  23. band — a ring
  24. file — a document

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