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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. branch — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cap — a hat
  8. march — music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. file — a tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. file — a line of people
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wind — moving air
  17. file — a document
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cap — a lid

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