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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 120 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 ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. cold — an illness
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. content — happy
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. capital — money
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cold — not warm
  24. firm — a company

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