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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. plane — a tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — shares
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. roll — a list
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rush — hurry
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stock — goods
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. temple — a place of worship

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