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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: ground · ball · wind · stand · trunk · temple · nail · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ball — a great time
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ground — a position
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stand — to bear
  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