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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bore — to drill
  3. capital — a city
  4. lie — to recline
  5. craft — boats
  6. march — the month
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. band — a music group
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. band — a ring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lean — thin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. craft — a skill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. march — the month
  24. ruler — for measuring

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