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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.

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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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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 · temple · court · fall · spell · plane · pitcher · branch

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. present — there
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — a gift
  5. court — of law
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. spell — letters
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. court — of a king
  14. branch — a division
  15. spell — magic
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fall — to drop
  20. court — for sport
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. spell — a short time
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fall — the season

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