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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. capital — money
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bank — for money
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. sharp — clever
  13. tube — the underground
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rule — a law
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rule — government
  23. tube — in a tire
  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