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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: pound · board · temple · roll · last · bear · capital · hide

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. roll — a list
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — final
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. capital — a city
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bear — the animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. board — a committee
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. capital — money
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. last — finally
  22. board — to get on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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