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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. capital — a city
  5. court — of law
  6. craft — boats
  7. capital — money
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. last — to go on
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. last — finally
  12. present — there
  13. last — final
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ruler — for measuring

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