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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fall — the season
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mug — a cup
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mug — a face
  15. ground — a position
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — the earth
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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