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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rule — a law
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. capital — money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rush — hurry
  16. capital — a city
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. arm — 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