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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. can — to be able to
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. pitch — completely
  6. file — a tool
  7. march — the month
  8. file — a document
  9. plane — a tool
  10. court — for sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. court — of law
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. file — a line of people
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lean — thin
  22. court — of a king
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitch — a sports field

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