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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: date · temple · chest · bound · ground · fan · plane · mouse

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chest — a box
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chest — of your body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — a tool
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ground — a position
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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