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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · board · mug · temple · scale · wind · fine · file

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mug — a face
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. land — to come down
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. file — a tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mug — a cup
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fine — high quality
  19. land — ground
  20. scale — in music
  21. land — a country
  22. mug — to rob
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fine — all right

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