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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 120 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: bore · fall · straw · lie · stem · content · deal · capital

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fall — the season
  3. bore — to tire
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — a city
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lie — to recline
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. content — the amount
  14. bore — to drill
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fall — to drop
  17. content — happy
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. deal — to handle
  24. capital — money

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