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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. file — a line of people
  3. spell — magic
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. net — after costs
  8. last — to go on
  9. file — a tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spell — a short time
  12. last — final
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. last — finally
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. file — a document
  23. spell — letters
  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