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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — steady
  3. scale — in music
  4. land — a country
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. firm — decided
  11. hand — help
  12. land — ground
  13. drill — the tool
  14. land — to come down
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lie — to recline
  19. hand — in cards
  20. firm — a company
  21. scale — size or range
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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