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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.

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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: temple · net · wave · band · mine · fall · squash · lie

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fall — the season
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. band — a ring
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — after costs
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a music group
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — to crush
  24. net — in sport

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