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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 120 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: lash · chair · pop · capital · arm · temple · plane · pit

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pop — soda
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pit — a hole
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. capital — money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. 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