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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · bulb · temple · rash · wind · date · spell · pound

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spell — letters
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wind — moving air
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rash — hasty
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rash — a series
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. saw — the tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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