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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: cue · tear · capital · object · lie · leaves · chest · pass

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cue — a signal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pass — a permit
  8. capital — a city
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — an aim
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — to protest
  16. tear — to rip
  17. capital — money
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cue — for pool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cue — a hint
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chest — of your body

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