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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. plane — a tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rule — a law
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. staff — employees
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rule — government

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