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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. game — wild animals
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. game — a match
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fall — the season
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wave — of the sea

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