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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 120 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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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: band · patient · temple · cap · dip · bound · file · race

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. file — a document
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cap — a hat
  6. dip — to sink
  7. band — a music group
  8. cap — a lid
  9. race — a contest
  10. bound — obliged
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — of ice
  14. band — a ring
  15. file — a tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bound — tied together
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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