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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 120 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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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: tear · bank · wound · pit · fan · board · temple · ground

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bank — for money
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. board — a committee
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. board — to get on
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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