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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: hide · temple · pitch · band · mark · snap · lash · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. band — a ring
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — a trace
  14. band — a music group
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. snap — to click
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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