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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. scale — size or range
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. charge — in control
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pass — a permit
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. charge — a price
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. fork — to eat with

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