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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — a measure
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — a signal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bound — certain
  13. wound — an injury
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cue — for pool
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. capital — a city
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lie — an untruth

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