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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.

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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: drill · lie · plane · spring · temple · stick · chest · suit

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. drill — army training
  3. lie — to recline
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. suit — clothes
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spring — a coil
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spring — the season
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spring — of water
  17. chest — of your body
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chest — a box
  21. suit — in cards
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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