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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: court · temple · cell · chip · scale · lash · plane · ruler

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. court — for sport
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. scale — in music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. plane — a tool
  20. court — of a king
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chip — for betting
  23. court — of law
  24. temple — side of the head

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