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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — of water
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. field — a subject
  6. plane — a tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. current — electric
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. current — happening now
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. field — farmland
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wake — a trail
  20. field — for sport
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bear — the animal
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rash — on the skin

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