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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. capital — a city
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bound — tied together
  10. foot — a measure
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — the arms race
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. scale — in music
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. race — humankind
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. race — a contest
  24. capital — money

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