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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — high quality
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bore — to tire
  7. file — a tool
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cell — in biology
  11. file — a line of people
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — a phone
  14. fine — all right
  15. present — a gift
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — money
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. file — a document
  21. present — there
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. present — the time now
  24. bore — to drill

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