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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · net · bear · capital · face · pop · temple · rule

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. capital — money
  7. rule — government
  8. capital — a city
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pop — to visit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — to confront
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rule — a law
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. face — to point toward
  24. net — for catching

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