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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: arm · cabinet · fan · tear · ruler · temple · capital · deal

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — to rip
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ruler — a monarch

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