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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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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: temple · race · kick · suit · capital · bear · lie · bass

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. race — a contest
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. capital — a city
  10. kick — in football
  11. race — humankind
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bass — low music
  19. suit — to fit
  20. capital — money
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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