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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: rule · staff · spring · stock · temple · band · mine · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — of water
  5. stock — goods
  6. spring — the season
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — a law
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. band — a ring
  13. mine — for digging
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rule — government
  17. stock — shares
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. staff — employees
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. temple — a place of worship

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