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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. band — a ring
  8. lean — to bend
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. branch — a division
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lean — thin
  20. band — a music group
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. foot — part of the body

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