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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. capital — a city
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mug — to rob
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mug — a face
  13. capital — money
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bound — obliged
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. court — for sport
  18. plane — a tool
  19. court — of law
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of a king
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fall — the season

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