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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. clip — to cut
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — to handle
  9. capital — money
  10. tear — from crying
  11. key — for a lock
  12. clip — for paper
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. capital — a city
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tear — from crying
  17. clip — a video
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — to rip
  24. key — in music

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