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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: wind · bound · suit · wound · hide · jam · mate · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. suit — to fit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bound — tied together
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bound — obliged
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bound — certain
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wind — moving air
  22. suit — clothes
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wind — moving air

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