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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: capital · bay · cold · coach · temple · squash · roll · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — money
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. roll — a cake
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. capital — a city
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. roll — a list
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. squash — the sport

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