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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: mouse · capital · lie · ruler · mug · spring · bat · face

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. capital — money
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — to confront
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spring — of water
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bat — the animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. capital — a city
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lie — to recline
  24. spring — a coil

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