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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.

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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: band · bay · temple · stock · can · row · bulb · spell

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. can — a tin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. can — to be able to
  8. spell — magic
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. band — a music group
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. band — a ring
  14. row — a line
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stock — goods
  24. bay — a horse colour

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