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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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. rush — hurry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — after costs
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. saw — the tool
  9. plane — a tool
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. net — for catching
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — in sport
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — the tool
  23. capital — money
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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