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

Word bank: cap · kick · temple · plane · deal · pound

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cap — a lid
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat

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