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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. last — finally
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. net — in sport
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — for catching
  8. last — to go on
  9. face — part of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bore — to tire
  13. net — after costs
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. face — to confront
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ground — the earth
  22. last — final
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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