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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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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 · date · pass · lean · pound · temple · tear · leaves

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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. tear — to rip
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lean — thin
  7. tear — from crying
  8. date — the fruit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pass — a permit
  12. capital — money
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pound — a weight
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. capital — a city
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tear — from crying
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. date — on the calendar

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