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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: ball · land · rush · wave · coach · capital · hide · temple

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rush — hurry
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. land — a country
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. capital — a city
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. land — ground
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. capital — money
  22. ball — a dance
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a great time

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