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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 120 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 · capital · row · temple · mug · straw · bowl · net

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mug — a face
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. net — for catching
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spell — magic
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. row — to paddle
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. row — a line
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. capital — money
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — after costs
  23. capital — a city
  24. net — in sport

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