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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: band · temple · track · snap · squash · date · tube · mug

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. squash — to crush
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mug — to rob
  6. track — a path
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mug — a cup
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. date — the fruit
  12. track — a song
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. band — a music group
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. band — a ring
  19. mug — a face
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to click
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tube — a container

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