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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: present · pit · band · board · roll · last · fall · temple

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fall — the season
  4. present — the time now
  5. band — a music group
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. last — finally
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — there
  14. pit — in a race
  15. roll — a cake
  16. last — final
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. present — a gift
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. board — a committee
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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