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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: capital · mark · stand · race · chest · temple · swing · rock

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. capital — money
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rock — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mark — a trace
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. swing — in golf
  15. capital — a city
  16. race — humankind
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rock — a stone
  22. race — a contest
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chest — a box

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