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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rest — what's left
  5. face — part of the head
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — to wash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rest — a break
  12. capital — money
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rest — what's left
  15. capital — a city
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. shower — rain
  18. fine — high quality
  19. face — to confront
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — all right
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. capital — a big letter

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