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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. roll — a list
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — for sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. court — of law
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bear — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. roll — a cake

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