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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: season · capital · temple · coach · lash · bulb · row · lie

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lie — to recline
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. row — a line
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — in sport
  21. capital — money
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — an untruth

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