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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kid — to tease
  14. capital — money
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. can — a tin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. can — to be able to
  21. kid — child
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. root — of a word

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