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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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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: temple · face · wind · band · wave · snap · scale · firm

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. firm — steady
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. band — a music group
  15. scale — size or range
  16. snap — to click
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. firm — decided
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. band — a ring
  23. face — to confront
  24. firm — a company

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