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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pit — a hole
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bound — tied together
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chest — a box
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bound — obliged
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bound — certain
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. degree — temperature
  23. leaves — to go away
  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