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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.

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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 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kid — child
  4. key — in music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. court — of a king
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. court — for sport
  18. key — for a lock
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mark — a trace
  22. court — of law
  23. mark — a grade
  24. key — the most important part

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