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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lie — to recline
  4. last — to go on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. roll — a list
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hand — help
  13. last — final
  14. roll — a cake
  15. capital — a city
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. last — finally
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bowl — to roll

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