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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: chest · band · cabinet · club · spring · roll · charge · temple

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. chest — of your body
  4. band — a ring
  5. charge — in control
  6. chest — a box
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. spring — of water
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — for golf
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — a price
  15. roll — a list
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spring — the season
  18. club — for dancing
  19. roll — a cake
  20. club — a group
  21. spring — a coil
  22. charge — electricity
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cabinet — ministers

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