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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: file · game · ruler · pass · capital · fall · temple · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. capital — money
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fall — the season
  6. game — wild animals
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. file — a line of people
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — a match
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fall — to drop
  19. file — a document
  20. capital — a city
  21. fall — to drop
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a tool

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