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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. plane — a tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — a friend
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. board — to get on
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. board — a committee
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. vault — a safe
  19. branch — a division
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pitch — completely
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. branch — of a tree

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