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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. spell — letters
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. plane — a tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rash — a series
  20. spell — magic
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — hasty
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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