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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: current · march · temple · lash · capital · firm · patient · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. firm — decided
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. current — of water
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. current — happening now
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. current — electric
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. capital — money
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. march — the month

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