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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · temple · bank · bear · sharp · net · capital · row

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. bank — of a river
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. capital — a city
  9. row — to paddle
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — in sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. net — after costs
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bank — for money
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. net — for catching
  24. capital — money

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