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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: cabinet · fall · last · club · pitcher · board · tear · temple

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. club — for golf
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — to get on
  5. club — a group
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fall — the season
  8. board — a committee
  9. club — for dancing
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. last — final
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. last — to go on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fall — to drop

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