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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lie — to recline
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. capital — money
  12. branch — a division
  13. tear — to rip
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. capital — a city
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. tube — a container

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