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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: fine · clip · temple · wave · suit · staff · spell · pound

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. staff — a stick
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spell — magic
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. clip — to cut
  20. suit — to fit
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. clip — a video

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