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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: bound · stand · bass · spring · lie · temple · wax · rock

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. spring — the season
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bound — tied together
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bass — low music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bound — certain
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wax — for sculpting

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