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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. present — the time now
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. capital — money
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bark — to shout
  10. capital — a city
  11. date — the fruit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. squash — the sport
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. present — there
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. firm — a company
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. present — a gift
  24. lie — an untruth

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