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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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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 · band · row · lean · stick · wind · rock · mate

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. band — a ring
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lean — thin
  9. band — a music group
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lean — to bend
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wind — moving air
  16. row — a line
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — music
  24. mate — a friend

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