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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · temple · saw · game · plane · wind · bore · staff

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bore — to tire
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — a tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. staff — a stick
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. staff — employees
  24. game — wild animals

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