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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: nail · temple · fan · chair · wound · current · march · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. current — of water
  3. chair — a leader
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. current — happening now
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. current — electric
  12. march — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. march — the month

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