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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: temple · net · content · chip · season · drill · stand · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — after costs
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chip — for betting
  13. drill — a practice
  14. net — for catching
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — in sport
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. content — the amount
  20. drill — army training
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. content — happy
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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