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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.

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
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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: board · mine · temple · wind · wake · bowl · track · bound

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — a path
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. board — to get on
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bound — certain

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