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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ground — the earth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — the season
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ground — a position
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — in football
  24. plane — in geometry

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