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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fall — to drop
  9. face — to point toward
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to confront
  20. fall — the season
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. capital — money
  23. lie — to recline
  24. date — the fruit

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