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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. tube — the underground
  3. firm — decided
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cap — a hat
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. firm — a company
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. firm — steady
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — a lid
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rash — a series
  20. cap — of ice
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — a container
  24. temple — a place of worship

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