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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: field · tear · key · hide · temple · spring · band · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. spring — the season
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tear — to rip
  8. key — in music
  9. field — farmland
  10. spring — of water
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. band — a music group
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. band — a ring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. tear — from crying
  24. key — for a lock

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