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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. drill — a practice
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. capital — a city
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. drill — army training
  24. safe — out of danger

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