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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · drill · rule · temple · pass · plane · face · wave

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. face — to confront
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rule — a law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. face — part of the head
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. face — to point toward
  20. plane — a tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rule — government

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