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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. bore — to tire
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. bore — to drill
  12. swing — to play on
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. game — wild animals
  22. swing — in golf
  23. plane — a tool
  24. swing — music

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