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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: face · bowl · temple · drill · branch · court · plane · last

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. temple — side of the head
  3. court — of a king
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. last — finally
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. drill — army training
  8. face — to confront
  9. last — to go on
  10. drill — the tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. drill — a practice
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — final
  21. branch — a division
  22. face — to point toward
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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