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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.

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: swing · plane · lie · pop · temple · row · ball · cell

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pop — to visit
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pop — music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pop — soda
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ball — a dance
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. row — a line
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ball — a round shape

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