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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: fan · temple · bank · face · track · shower · ground · firm

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. face — part of the head
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — a song
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bank — of a river
  11. firm — steady
  12. track — a path
  13. face — to confront
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — for money
  19. shower — to wash
  20. firm — a company
  21. shower — rain
  22. face — to point toward
  23. firm — decided
  24. bank — for money

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