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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 · lie · lean · racket · club · fork · temple · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — thin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. club — for golf
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. content — happy
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. content — the amount
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lean — to bend

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