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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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468
Word bank
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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. track — a song
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. sharp — clever
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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