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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — a tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chip — for betting
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cap — a lid
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. toast — bread
  20. season — in sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. cap — a hat

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