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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. tube — a container
  3. face — to confront
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. net — for catching
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. net — after costs
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lie — to recline
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. face — part of the head

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