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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · temple · tear · fan · racket · bank · cell · scale

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tear — from crying
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — for money
  12. tear — to rip
  13. face — to confront
  14. cell — in biology
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — in music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bank — of a river
  21. scale — size or range
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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