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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. capital — a city
  3. saw — the tool
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. capital — money
  14. charge — in control
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. charge — electricity
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bat — the animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bat — for baseball

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