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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
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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: lean · ball · bay · temple · pitcher · wind · season · fall

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fall — the season
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ball — a great time
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ball — a dance
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wind — to turn a key

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