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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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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: pound · temple · roll · fall · board · lean · wave · chair

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. roll — a list
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. board — a committee
  14. fall — the season
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — with your hand

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