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

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. last — finally
  4. ball — a dance
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ball — a great time
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — a law
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — government
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. last — final
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. last — to go on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. plane — a tool

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