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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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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: temple · track · lie · spell · capital · pass

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pass — a permit
  4. capital — money
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. capital — a city
  11. spell — letters
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. spell — magic
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — a short time
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a path

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