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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 120 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: lean · temple · last · cabinet · spell · drill · capital · pitch

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. last — final
  4. spell — a short time
  5. drill — army training
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — letters
  8. last — to go on
  9. capital — money
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lean — thin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to bend
  17. capital — a city
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cabinet — ministers

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