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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
468
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 · temple · chest · bass · lie · saw · cap · mouse

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lie — to recline
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — low music
  20. chest — a box
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chest — of your body
  24. plane — in geometry

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