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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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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: bowl · pass · temple · lean · wind · stand · nail · saw

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lean — thin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wind — moving air

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