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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tube — a container
  3. hand — in cards
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hand — help
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. capital — a city
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — the underground
  20. capital — money
  21. rock — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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