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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. board — to get on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — to drop
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — magic
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. spell — letters
  24. fan — to cool the 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