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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. land — ground
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. capital — money
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. land — a country
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. land — to come down
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bulb — for light
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. capital — a city
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mine — for digging
  24. foot — a measure

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