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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rush — hurry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. chair — to sit on

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