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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — steady
  6. saw — the tool
  7. present — the time now
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. capital — money
  16. season — in sport
  17. firm — a company
  18. present — a gift
  19. pop — to visit
  20. present — there
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — decided
  24. season — of the year

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