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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: firm · key · field · capital · wake · arm · lie · temple

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. capital — money
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. field — for sport
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. key — in music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. firm — a company
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. firm — steady
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — for a lock
  17. capital — a city
  18. firm — decided
  19. wake — a trail
  20. field — farmland
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lie — to recline
  24. key — the most important part

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