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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — a lid
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bark — of a tree

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