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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ground — a position
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ground — the earth
  14. last — finally
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pop — music
  19. last — final
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. last — to go on
  23. pop — soda
  24. plane — in geometry

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