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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mate — a partner
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mate — a friend
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. suit — to fit
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fork — to eat with

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