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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. face — part of the head
  9. track — a song
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. face — to point toward
  14. track — to keep track
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mine — for digging
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. face — to confront

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