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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cue — a hint
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. capital — money
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. tube — a container
  24. cue — a signal

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