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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 · saw · bore · cap · band · mug · rest · temple

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a music group
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mug — a face
  6. cap — a lid
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cap — of ice
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mug — to rob
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — a break
  17. band — a ring
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cap — a hat

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