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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. club — for golf
  5. drill — a practice
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. club — for dancing
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fall — to drop
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. drill — army training
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wind — moving air
  24. club — a group

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