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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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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: file · shower · stand · temple · cue · jam · band · cell

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cell — in biology
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cue — for pool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cell — a phone
  22. shower — to wash
  23. band — a music group
  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