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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
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: bank · spring · spell · bass · object · track · roll · temple

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. spell — magic
  3. spring — a coil
  4. track — to keep track
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bank — for money
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — of water
  9. track — a song
  10. roll — a cake
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spring — the season
  13. object — a thing
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bank — of a river
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. object — an aim
  18. bank — for money
  19. roll — a list
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. object — to protest
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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