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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: temple · band · wind · foot · fine · hand · pitcher · bulb

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. band — a music group
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hand — help
  13. fine — all right
  14. band — a ring
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — high quality
  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