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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.

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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: can · rash · roll · capital · season · stand · temple · present

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. season — in sport
  3. present — there
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. can — a tin
  7. present — a gift
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. capital — money
  12. present — the time now
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rash — hasty
  15. capital — a city
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. can — a tin
  23. rash — a series
  24. roll — a list

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