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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · sharp · can · wind · capital · ruler · temple · squash

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. squash — the sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. squash — to crush
  11. sharp — clever
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. capital — a city
  22. can — to be able to
  23. capital — money
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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