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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — in music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cold — not warm
  24. temple — side of the head

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