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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — the sport
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — ground
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. land — to come down
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — to confront
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. plane — a tool
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. land — a country
  24. wound — an injury

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