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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: temple · capital · firm · mug · content · last · present · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. firm — decided
  3. capital — money
  4. firm — steady
  5. content — the amount
  6. capital — a city
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mug — a face
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. last — to go on
  11. mug — a cup
  12. last — finally
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mug — to rob
  15. content — happy
  16. firm — a company
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. last — final
  19. present — there
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. arm — part of the body

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