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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · capital · cell · kick · arm · charge

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. charge — a price
  3. cell — in biology
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. charge — in control
  12. cell — a phone
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. capital — a city
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. charge — electricity
  18. 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