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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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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: stand · band · bay · wind · snap · wound · charge · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. band — a music group
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. charge — in control
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — a price
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stand — to bear
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. charge — electricity
  22. snap — to click
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wind — moving air

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