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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: temple · drill · lash · capital · deal · fan · bass · hide

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. capital — money
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — army training
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bass — the fish
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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