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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.

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: capital · trunk · can · band · nail · lie · present · temple

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. capital — a city
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. present — there
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. present — a gift
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. band — a music group
  13. capital — money
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. can — to be able to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. band — a ring
  22. present — the time now
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. band — a rubber band

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