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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. last — final
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. object — a thing
  8. lie — to recline
  9. last — to go on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. last — finally
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. object — an aim
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. plane — a tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — to grow

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