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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. roll — a cake
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. foot — a measure
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. roll — a list

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