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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 120 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: stand · temple · content · rash · ruler · hide · capital · lie

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. capital — a city
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rash — a series
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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