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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. vault — a safe
  9. net — in sport
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — after costs
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. net — for catching
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. spell — magic
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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