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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. capital — a city
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. capital — money
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a document
  17. spring — the season
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a tool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spring — of water
  24. capital — a big letter

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