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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. squash — to crush

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