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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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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: plane · temple · foot · squash · mate · cap · wind · spell

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mate — to breed
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. spell — letters
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cap — a lid
  8. spell — a short time
  9. squash — to crush
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spell — magic
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. foot — a measure
  21. squash — the sport
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cap — a hat
  24. foot — part of the body

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