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

Word bank: cold · straw · row · plane · rest · pound · temple · bear

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cold — an illness
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. row — a line
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rest — a break
  20. cold — not warm
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. row — to paddle
  24. temple — a place of worship

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