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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. board — to get on
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. squash — the sport
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. squash — to crush
  13. board — a committee
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — to trim
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. prune — to trim

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