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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.

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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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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: kid · suit · saw · temple · net · capital · pass · lash

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. capital — a city
  5. net — after costs
  6. capital — money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. suit — to fit
  16. net — for catching
  17. kid — child
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. suit — clothes

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