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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 124 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. race — humankind
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. race — the arms race
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mate — a friend
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mate — a partner
  11. chip — for betting
  12. race — a contest
  13. roll — a cake
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. capital — money
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lie — to recline
  23. roll — a list
  24. capital — a city

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