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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spell — a short time
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. march — the month
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spell — letters
  17. clip — a video
  18. march — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. clip — for paper
  21. march — the month
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — magic

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