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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. tube — a container
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. degree — from a university
  9. capital — money
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. tube — the underground
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fan — a supporter
  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