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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · wave · lie · press · temple · mine · bass · band

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. band — a ring
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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