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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.

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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: wake · lash · temple · wind · plane · foot · cell · bound

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wind — moving air
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cell — in biology
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wake — a trail
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wind — moving air
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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