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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lie — to recline
  3. kick — in football
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. roll — a cake
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — a grade
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. branch — a division
  14. plane — a tool
  15. capital — money
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. roll — a list
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mark — a trace

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