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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. firm — decided
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — steady
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. firm — a company
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rash — a series
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bat — in an idiom

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