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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. capital — money
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. track — a song
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cap — a lid
  10. capital — a city
  11. track — a path
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. track — to keep track
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hand — part of the body

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