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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kick — in football
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. plane — a tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. land — a country
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — certain
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bass — low music
  23. land — ground
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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