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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — the time now
  8. last — finally
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. present — a gift
  11. current — happening now
  12. rush — hurry
  13. last — to go on
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. last — final
  18. current — of water
  19. stand — to bear
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. present — there
  24. current — electric

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