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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: temple · club · bound · last · mug · file · wind · safe

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. last — final
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. club — a group
  7. file — a document
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mug — a face
  12. last — to go on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mug — a cup
  17. club — for dancing
  18. file — a tool
  19. mug — to rob
  20. last — finally
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. club — for golf
  23. file — a line of people
  24. safe — a strongbox

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