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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. net — for catching
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. net — after costs
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. net — in sport
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fine — all right
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. hand — help
  24. bark — to shout

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