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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: cap · capital · lie · mark · spell · temple · hand · rash

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rash — a series
  5. hand — help
  6. spell — letters
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. capital — a city
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spell — magic
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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