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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: bowl · fall · charge · calf · snap · fan · band · temple

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. snap — to click
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — electricity
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. charge — in control
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. band — a music group
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. band — a ring
  21. charge — a price
  22. fall — the season
  23. band — a rubber band
  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