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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: stand · temple · safe · band · branch · rush · mug · capital

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mug — a cup
  6. branch — a division
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mug — to rob
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. capital — a city
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mug — a face
  19. capital — money
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. band — a music group
  24. branch — of a tree

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