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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. craft — a skill
  4. plane — a tool
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — a cake
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. craft — boats
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lie — to recline
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. present — there
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. plane — in geometry

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