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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · bank · temple · ground · fall · fan · tube · last

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tube — a container
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. last — to go on
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bank — of a river
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. last — finally
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ground — a position
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bank — for money
  21. ground — crushed
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bank — for money
  24. last — final

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