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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · fall · fan · nail · capital · temple · key · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — the season
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. key — the most important part
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fall — to drop
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — a city
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. capital — money
  24. bore — gave birth

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