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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. band — a ring
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. chest — of your body
  7. band — a music group
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pound — a weight
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chest — a box
  17. club — for golf
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. club — a group
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bound — certain

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