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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. land — to come down
  3. capital — money
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. firm — decided
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. capital — a city
  9. land — a country
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — to point toward
  12. firm — steady
  13. land — ground
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a dance
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mark — a grade
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ball — a great time
  20. roll — a list
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — to confront
  23. firm — a company
  24. lie — to recline

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