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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. capital — a city
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rule — government
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lie — to recline
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bank — for money
  16. capital — money
  17. rock — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rule — a law
  21. tube — a container
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — a stone

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