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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.

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: fan · temple · mug · bat · pass · fall · season · chest

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fall — the season
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bat — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mug — a face
  18. season — in sport
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. fan — a supporter

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