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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: temple · spell · capital · hide · pop · pit · calf · cue

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pit — in a race
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cue — a hint
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spell — letters
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. capital — money
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pop — music
  22. capital — a city
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — a young animal

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