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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. suit — to fit
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. suit — in cards
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mark — a trace
  22. drill — army training
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. plane — a tool

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