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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chip — to eat
  10. season — in sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — of the year
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fall — the season
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. season — to add flavour

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