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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.

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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — government
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. last — final
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chest — a box
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — a law
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. last — to go on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chest — of your body
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. last — finally

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