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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: band · bank · straw · temple · foot · jam · wound · face

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. face — to point toward
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. face — to confront
  17. foot — a measure
  18. band — a ring
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a music group
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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