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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.

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: plane · fine · straw · bowl · temple · chair · file · mug

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fine — all right
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. file — a tool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. file — a document
  11. mug — a face
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mug — to rob
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fine — high quality
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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