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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 · band · spell · bore · wave · pitch · spring · lie

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. spring — the season
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. band — a music group
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. band — a ring
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. spell — magic
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lie — to recline

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