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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
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: temple · mouse · saw · mate · capital · trunk · press · can

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. can — a tin
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. press — to push
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. press — a publisher
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mate — to breed
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. capital — a city

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