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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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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: rule · lash · capital · bank · temple · tear · race · cap

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bank — of a river
  5. tear — to rip
  6. race — a contest
  7. rule — a law
  8. bank — for money
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. race — humankind
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rule — government
  24. race — the arms race

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