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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 · degree · toast · rush · lie · firm · dip · temple

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. firm — decided
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. firm — a company
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. capital — money
  14. dip — to sink
  15. capital — a city
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. degree — from a university
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rush — hurry
  23. toast — bread
  24. firm — steady

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