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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. row — to paddle
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. march — music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. row — a line
  24. leaves — lets stay

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