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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: lie · bark · stock · bound · capital · hide · key · drill

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bound — certain
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — to shout
  6. drill — army training
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. key — in music
  9. stock — shares
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stock — goods
  19. capital — money
  20. key — for a lock
  21. capital — a city
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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