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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. present — a gift
  5. object — an aim
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wound — an injury
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. present — there
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — the time now
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. object — to protest
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. shower — rain
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. jam — in traffic

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