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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: ball · snap · fan · temple · tear · bore · roll · branch

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. roll — a list
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. roll — a cake
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ball — a dance
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tear — from crying
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. snap — to click

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