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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. fork — in a road
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. firm — a company
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. root — of a word
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — the cause
  21. march — the month
  22. root — of a plant
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. fork — to eat with

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