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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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Word bank
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. capital — money
  3. lie — to recline
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. craft — a skill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. season — of the year
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. craft — boats
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — in sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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