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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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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: leaves · rest · temple · date · straw · calf · bass · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. date — the fruit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rest — a break
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rest — what's left
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. capital — a city
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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