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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
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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: current · staff · suit · lie · deal · temple · arm · drill

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. staff — a stick
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — clothes
  10. current — electric
  11. lie — to recline
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. drill — the tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. current — of water
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. drill — army training
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. suit — to fit
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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