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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.

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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: club · firm · wave · dip · band · ball · temple · foot

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ball — a dance
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. club — a group
  10. ball — a great time
  11. foot — a measure
  12. band — a music group
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. band — a ring
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. club — for dancing
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. club — for golf
  24. dip — a sauce

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