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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. wound — an injury
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. capital — money
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — to recline
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ball — a great time
  17. capital — a city
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. land — to come down
  24. wound — an injury

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