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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. plane — a tool
  3. degree — temperature
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. land — a country
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — ground
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. degree — an amount
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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