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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: pop · net · roll · face · wind · temple · date · racket

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. net — for catching
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. net — in sport
  6. roll — a cake
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — to visit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. face — part of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. date — the fruit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. pop — soda
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. net — after costs
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pop — music
  23. roll — a list
  24. racket — for tennis

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