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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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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: bark · cell · nail · lie · staff · mouse · race · capital

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. race — humankind
  4. cell — a phone
  5. race — the arms race
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. capital — money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. race — a contest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. capital — a city
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. staff — employees
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cell — in biology

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