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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 120 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: bay · stand · bore · bark · row · squash · capital · temple

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bark — to shout
  14. squash — the sport
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bore — to drill
  17. capital — a city
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. capital — money
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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