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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · scale · kick · tube · row · mug · temple · plane

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mug — a face
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. present — there
  8. kick — in football
  9. row — a line
  10. scale — size or range
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mug — to rob
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. row — to paddle
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. present — the time now
  20. scale — in music
  21. tube — a container
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mug — a cup

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