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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
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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: mouse · band · date · object · file · saw · temple · face

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. object — a thing
  4. file — a tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. file — a document
  10. saw — the tool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. face — to point toward
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. object — an aim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. saw — the tool

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