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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: temple · band · fan · ruler · fine · leaves · fall · mine

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fine — high quality
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. band — a music group
  10. fall — the season
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — all right
  18. band — a ring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — to go away

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