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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 116 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: key · deal · scale · lie · fall · straw · bound · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. scale — size or range
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fall — the season
  6. bound — certain
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. capital — money
  9. lie — to recline
  10. deal — to handle
  11. scale — in music
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bound — tied together
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. key — in music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — obliged

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