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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — a short time
  6. capital — money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. capital — a city
  14. spell — magic
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. band — a music group
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — letters
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. deal — a big deal

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