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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. capital — a city
  3. mate — a partner
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mate — to breed
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. mate — a friend
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — bread
  23. capital — money
  24. wax — for sculpting

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