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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · spell · bay · mouse · band · temple · lie · trunk

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — a short time
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. spell — letters
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. band — a music group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. band — a ring
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spell — magic

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