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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: row · ground · temple · spell · arm · tube · kick · capital

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. tube — a container
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. capital — a city
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. row — to paddle
  12. spell — a short time
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. capital — money
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. spell — magic
  20. row — a line
  21. spell — letters
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ground — crushed
  24. tube — the underground

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