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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: pound · chair · temple · wave · swing · bank · pass · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. swing — to play on
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pound — a weight
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. swing — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bank — for money

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