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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. branch — a division
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. capital — money
  8. drill — army training
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — finally
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. last — to go on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. last — final

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