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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.

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: dip · arm · present · march · fine · lie · capital · straw

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fine — high quality
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — money
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. present — a gift
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. present — the time now
  12. capital — a city
  13. march — the month
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — there
  20. march — the month
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. march — music
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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