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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: mine · temple · hide · band · bass · cabinet · rest · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. band — a ring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — low music
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. band — a music group
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rest — a break
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mine — an explosive

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