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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: can · ruler · kid · band · snap · temple · club · mine

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. can — a tin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a music group
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. kid — child
  14. club — for golf
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. snap — to click
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. club — for dancing
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. club — a group
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mine — for digging

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