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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: bank · charge · stand · temple · fan · net · face · hand

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — in control
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. face — to confront
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hand — help
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. face — to point toward
  19. net — in sport
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. net — after costs
  22. charge — electricity
  23. face — part of the head
  24. charge — a price

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