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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
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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: calf · net · temple · suit · rush · mate · capital · cap

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. cap — of ice
  3. capital — a city
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. net — in sport
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. net — after costs
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mate — a friend
  14. capital — money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cap — a hat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. net — for catching
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. calf — of the leg
  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