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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: row · bat · race · wake · bound · cell · plane · temple

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cell — in biology
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bound — tied together
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. row — to paddle
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — a line
  13. race — humankind
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. plane — a tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bound — certain
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wake — a trail
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. race — a contest
  24. cell — in a prison

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