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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: nail · temple · pound · dip · hand · board · prune · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. dip — to sink
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hand — in cards
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — help
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. pound — a weight
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. temple — side of the head

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