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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 116 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. capital — money
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. staff — employees
  9. snap — to click
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stem — to come from
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. staff — employees
  15. capital — a city
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. staff — a stick

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