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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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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: stand · board · land · roll · mark · temple · snap · present

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. land — to come down
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. present — the time now
  5. land — ground
  6. stand — to bear
  7. present — there
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. land — a country
  12. roll — a list
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. present — a gift
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to click
  20. board — a committee
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mark — a trace
  23. board — to get on
  24. roll — on a roll

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