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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. capital — a city
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — to visit
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. capital — money
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pop — music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pop — soda
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. snap — to click
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. toast — the most admired

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