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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
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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: fall · game · bat · saw · bore · temple · plane · band

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bat — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to tire
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fall — to drop
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — the season
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fall — to drop
  18. game — a match
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bore — to drill
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. game — wild animals

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