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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tear — from crying
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kick — in football
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — a city

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