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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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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: wind · key · track · face · mouse · temple · bear · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. face — to confront
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. track — a path
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — in music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. key — the most important part
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. track — a song

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