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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: fall · pop · temple · bound · roll · dip · face · present

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. roll — a cake
  3. dip — to sink
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. present — the time now
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fall — the season
  12. pop — music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. face — to confront
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. present — a gift
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pop — soda
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. roll — a list
  21. pop — to visit
  22. present — there
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bound — tied together

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