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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · capital · ruler · lie · scale · kick · jam · spring

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. capital — money
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. spring — the season
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. capital — a city
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. spring — of water
  18. scale — in music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lie — to recline

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