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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. court — of law
  3. plane — a tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bound — certain
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. season — in sport
  14. court — for sport
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bound — obliged
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bound — tied together
  22. court — of a king
  23. season — of the year
  24. track — a song

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