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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: mark · plane · game · ground · tube · temple · mine · press

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ground — a position
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — a trace
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ground — the earth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. game — a match
  17. press — to push
  18. ground — crushed
  19. game — wild animals
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mine — for digging
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. plane — in geometry

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