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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. land — a country
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. capital — a city
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — to come down
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. land — ground
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — money
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bat — the animal

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