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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: last · key · field · capital · stem · lie · temple · fine

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. key — in music
  3. fine — all right
  4. last — final
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — a city
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. last — finally
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stem — to come from
  18. field — for sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lie — to recline
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. last — to go on
  24. temple — a place of worship

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