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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: firm · lash · wound · pop · mate · swing · mine · temple

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — decided
  4. swing — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pop — soda
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mine — for digging
  12. firm — steady
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — a company
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mate — to breed

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