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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: bat · fall · mine · nail · current · plane · suit · temple

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fall — to drop
  6. current — of water
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bat — the animal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. current — happening now
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. plane — a tool
  17. suit — clothes
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. current — electric
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fall — the season
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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