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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: capital · roll · rash · cold · temple · wave · face · staff

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. capital — money
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. roll — a list
  6. capital — a city
  7. face — to confront
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rash — hasty
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. staff — employees
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. roll — a cake
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. temple — a place of worship

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