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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wake — a trail
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bound — certain
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. game — a match
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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