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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.

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: lie · wound · temple · mug · ground · wind · fan · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wind — moving air
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mug — to rob
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mug — a face
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  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