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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: hide · mouse · capital · swing · rash · temple · chip · pass

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chip — to eat
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. swing — to play on
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. capital — a city
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rash — a series
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pass — a permit
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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