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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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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: temple · fan · bear · shower · fall · bound · fine · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fall — the season
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — certain
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fine — all right
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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