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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: band · can · fall · wind · mug · temple · game · dip

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wind — moving air
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mug — a face
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mug — to rob
  17. game — a match
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. dip — to sink
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. band — a music group
  22. fall — the season
  23. game — wild animals
  24. dip — a sauce

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