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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: sharp · capital · mark · ground · stick · bore · lie · cell

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cell — in biology
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. ground — a position
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — a trace
  22. capital — a city
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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