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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
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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: content · spell · chest · object · calf · capital · present · temple

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chest — a box
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. present — a gift
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. capital — money
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. object — a thing
  13. chest — of your body
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. object — an aim
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. object — to protest
  20. chest — of your body
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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