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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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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: tear · present · track · band · fine · temple · lash · spell

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tear — from crying
  4. band — a music group
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fine — all right
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. present — a gift
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — a song
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a path
  15. fine — high quality
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. present — there
  22. band — a ring
  23. tear — to rip
  24. lash — an eyelash

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