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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 · bay · sharp · capital · face · dip · present · arm

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. dip — to sink
  6. present — the time now
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. capital — a city
  13. present — there
  14. face — part of the head
  15. capital — money
  16. face — to point toward
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — a gift
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. face — to confront

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