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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · saw · lie · capital · jam · cue · face · staff

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. saw — the tool
  3. capital — a city
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. staff — a stick
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. face — to confront
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — for pool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cue — a hint
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — to point toward
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cue — a signal
  22. kid — child
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lie — an untruth

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