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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — to get on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — a committee
  9. fall — the season
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fall — to drop
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lean — thin

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