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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cell — a phone
  3. capital — money
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. march — the month
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — happening now
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. current — electric
  12. season — of the year
  13. cell — in biology
  14. march — the month
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. current — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. march — music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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