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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.

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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: pound · file · fan · lie · cue · capital · tear · bear

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. file — a document
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. file — a line of people
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. capital — money
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pound — a weight
  19. file — a tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lie — an untruth

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