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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fall — the season
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fork — in a road
  10. clip — for paper
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. plane — a tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. lie — to recline
  15. field — a subject
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. field — for sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — an untruth

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