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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · racket · tube · cap · leaves · lie · capital · bark

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. capital — money
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tube — the underground
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cap — of ice
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. capital — a city

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