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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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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: date · lash · capital · cabinet · firm · temple · leaves · rest

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. capital — money
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. date — the fruit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — decided
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rest — a break
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. temple — side of the head

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