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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.

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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: net · coach · firm · wave · row · band · spell · temple

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spell — a short time
  8. band — a ring
  9. net — after costs
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. net — in sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. row — a line
  15. net — for catching
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — magic
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. row — to paddle

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