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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: firm · tear · land · cold · temple · rest · plane · pass

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. plane — a tool
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. firm — steady
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — a break
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — decided
  16. pass — a permit
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cold — not warm
  21. land — to come down
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. firm — a company

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