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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — to sink
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. game — a match
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. plane — a tool
  17. game — wild animals
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. current — electric

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