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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. march — the month
  4. bound — certain
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. march — the month
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — tied together
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. root — of a word
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. march — music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. root — the cause
  23. temple — side of the head
  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