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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. suit — to fit
  4. capital — a city
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. march — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. march — the month
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — money
  17. suit — clothes
  18. march — the month
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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