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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: craft · rule · temple · spring · jam · firm · band · row

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spring — the season
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. firm — steady
  5. rule — government
  6. spring — of water
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — a line
  12. band — a music group
  13. spring — a coil
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. band — a ring
  17. firm — decided
  18. craft — a skill
  19. firm — a company
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rule — a law
  23. craft — boats
  24. jam — a tight spot

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