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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. capital — a city
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fall — the season
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — to recline
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. capital — money
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fine — all right
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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