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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.

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: net · pitcher · wind · wave · spring · tube · temple · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. tube — a container
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. net — in sport
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. tube — the underground
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. band — a ring
  12. spring — the season
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. net — after costs
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spring — a coil
  22. net — for catching
  23. spring — of water
  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