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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. capital — money
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chip — to eat
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rule — government
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. root — of a word
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. capital — a city
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wake — a trail
  23. root — the cause
  24. capital — a big letter

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