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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mug — a cup
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. track — a path
  8. band — a ring
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. track — a song
  13. plane — a tool
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. track — to keep track
  18. band — a music group
  19. firm — a company
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mug — to rob
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mug — a face
  24. temple — side of the head

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