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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — army training
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — a city
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stock — goods
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stock — shares
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — employees
  21. capital — money
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — side of the head

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