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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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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: stand · temple · cold · wound · plane · deal · present · bore

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. wound — an injury
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cold — not warm
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cold — an illness
  17. present — a gift
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wound — an injury
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bore — to tire
  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