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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: rock · plane · cap · temple · land · chest · track · bowl

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chest — of your body
  3. land — a country
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rock — music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. plane — a tool
  15. land — ground
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. track — a song
  19. land — to come down
  20. rock — a stone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chest — a box
  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