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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. band — a music group
  3. pass — a permit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bore — to tire
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chip — to eat
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. file — a document
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chip — for betting
  17. file — a tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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