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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: temple · spell · track · pitcher · band · lash · sharp · stand

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. band — a ring
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — a song
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. track — a path
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spell — letters
  17. sharp — clever
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. band — a music group
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitcher — a jug

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