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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
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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 · mark · leaves · temple · nail · row · date · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. capital — a city
  3. row — to paddle
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. capital — money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mark — a grade
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. row — a line
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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