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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · land · lash · cap · arm · mouse · temple · ground

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. 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. land — ground
  2. ground — a position
  3. cap — of ice
  4. current — of water
  5. cap — a lid
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. land — to come down
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ground — crushed
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. current — happening now
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ground — the earth
  22. land — a country
  23. current — electric
  24. 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