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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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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stand — to bear
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cap — a hat
  14. shower — rain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. branch — a division
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cap — of ice
  21. shower — to wash
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wind — moving air

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