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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. drill — army training
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. march — music
  11. court — of a king
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. plane — a tool
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. march — the month
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bass — the fish
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bass — low music

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