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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
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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: field · stand · roll · mine · temple · mark · charge · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. field — for sport
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. charge — in control
  8. mark — a grade
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mine — for digging
  14. field — farmland
  15. mark — a trace
  16. charge — a price
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. roll — a cake
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wind — moving air
  22. roll — a list
  23. field — a subject
  24. roll — on a roll

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