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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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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 · last · dip · pound · foot · field · temple · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. foot — a measure
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. last — finally
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. last — to go on
  11. bore — to tire
  12. last — final
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pound — a weight
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. dip — to sink
  24. field — for sport

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