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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 120 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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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: bank · leaves · cold · fan · board · ball · temple · suit

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ball — a great time
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. suit — in cards
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — a committee
  20. cold — not warm
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cold — the Cold War

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