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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: temple · wound · capital · spring · coach · mouse · rest · ball

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spring — a coil
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. capital — a city
  5. spring — of water
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. capital — money
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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