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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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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wound — an injury
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. snap — to click
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lie — to recline
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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