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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.

Make a worksheet

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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. sharp — clever
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bound — certain
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — tied together
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — in football
  11. file — a tool
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. file — a line of people
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. file — a document
  19. game — a match
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — obliged
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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