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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stand — to bear

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