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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: kick · temple · rash · arm · stem · capital · plane · drill

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. drill — a practice
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. drill — the tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — hasty
  18. capital — a city
  19. kick — in football
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. drill — army training
  23. rash — a series
  24. stem — a stem cell

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