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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — the season
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. net — after costs
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — to get on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. net — in sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — a cake
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. board — a committee
  20. tube — a container
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. net — for catching
  24. tube — the underground

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