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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: track · temple · racket · clip · present · rush · band · bound

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a ring
  12. track — a path
  13. rush — hurry
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bound — certain
  17. present — there
  18. band — a music group
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — tied together
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — a gift
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. racket — a loud noise

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