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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. drill — the tool
  3. roll — a list
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. clip — a video
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pit — in a race
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. drill — army training
  10. clip — to cut
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pit — a hole
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. plane — a tool
  16. toast — bread
  17. roll — a cake
  18. clip — for paper
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. drill — a practice
  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