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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 · object · jam · temple · band · cap · sharp · cell

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. object — a thing
  3. cap — a lid
  4. object — an aim
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cell — a phone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. cap — of ice
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. object — to protest
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stand — to bear

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