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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: temple · band · board · object · leaves · mark · cold · swing

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cold — not warm
  3. band — a ring
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. object — to protest
  7. band — a music group
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. board — to get on
  10. object — a thing
  11. cold — an illness
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. object — an aim
  14. board — a committee
  15. swing — to play on
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. temple — a place of worship

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