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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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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: temple · pop · rest · band · ground · spring · present · ruler

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rest — a break
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — the season
  5. rest — what's left
  6. band — a ring
  7. ground — a position
  8. pop — to visit
  9. present — the time now
  10. band — a music group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — the earth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — of water
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pop — soda
  22. spring — a coil
  23. present — a gift
  24. pop — music

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