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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: bass · temple · fan · drill · nail · date · prune · band

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. band — a ring
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. band — a music group
  11. date — the fruit
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. drill — the tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — army training
  19. prune — to trim
  20. drill — a practice
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — on a finger

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