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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: land · temple · present · pass · lie · capital · rest · current

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. land — to come down
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — a gift
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pass — a permit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — a break
  11. present — there
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — of water
  16. land — ground
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — the time now
  19. capital — money
  20. current — electric
  21. land — a country
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. capital — a city
  24. lie — an untruth

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