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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: wake · temple · content · swing · band · ball · bark · track

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. content — the amount
  4. wake — a trail
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. swing — music
  8. band — a ring
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. swing — in golf
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. bark — to shout
  16. ball — a dance
  17. content — happy
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. track — a path
  24. temple — a place of worship

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