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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: temple · stand · rash · hand · ball · bass · fine · saw

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stand — to bear
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hand — help
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rash — a series
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ball — a dance

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