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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: temple · suit · rush · capital · fork · fall · cell · bank

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bank — for money
  4. fall — the season
  5. capital — a city
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fork — in a road
  11. capital — money
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cell — in biology
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cell — a phone

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