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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a list
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. face — to point toward
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. can — a tin
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. roll — a cake
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — to confront
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. plane — a tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. roll — on a roll

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