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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chest · temple · lie · mug · pass · date · suit

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chest — a box
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. suit — clothes
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. capital — money
  15. chest — of your body
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pass — a permit
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mug — a face
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lie — an untruth

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