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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.

Make a worksheet

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: capital · temple · pass · spell · stick · land

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. capital — a city
  3. land — to come down
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spell — letters
  10. land — a country
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spell — magic
  13. capital — money
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. land — ground
  18. temple — a place of worship

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