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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — a city
  6. current — of water
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — help
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mark — a grade
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. capital — money
  17. current — electric
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rash — hasty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rash — a series
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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