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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · hide · mine · bass · spell · snap · temple · bound

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bound — tied together
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. snap — to click
  9. bass — low music
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — letters
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — magic
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bound — certain
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hide — to keep secret

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