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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: temple · chair · mine · track · bank · bulb · lash · spell

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spell — letters
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — to keep track
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — magic
  22. track — a path
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bank — for money

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