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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · stick · hand · temple · ruler · ground · lie · dip

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ground — a position
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hand — help
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — an untruth

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