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

Word bank: lie · tube · toast · rule · kid · perch · straw · capital

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. tube — a container
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kid — child
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rule — a law
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. toast — bread
  16. capital — money
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rule — government
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. perch — for a bird
  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