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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: mouse · temple · deal · hide · capital · wound · tear · ball

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. capital — a city
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — money
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ball — a great time

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