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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: spell · straw · cabinet · bear · capital · temple · rash · key

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — magic
  3. capital — money
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spell — letters
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — in music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. capital — a city
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. key — for a lock
  24. temple — a place of worship

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