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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: press · racket · track · fan · fall · rash · temple · land

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. track — a path
  3. land — to come down
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — a series
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — hasty
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fall — to drop
  14. press — to push
  15. land — a country
  16. track — a song
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. land — ground
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — on the skin

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