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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: file · capital · temple · lean · can · hide · mine · net

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. capital — money
  3. file — a line of people
  4. can — to be able to
  5. file — a document
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. can — a tin
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mine — for digging
  12. net — for catching
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. file — a tool
  15. capital — a city
  16. lean — thin
  17. net — after costs
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — a tin

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