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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: face · wind · temple · bound · fan · plane · band · mark

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. band — a ring
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bound — certain
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. face — to confront
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. face — part of the head
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. temple — a place of worship

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