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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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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: lie · ruler · capital · wound · last · chip · tear · safe

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — final
  19. wound — an injury
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. chip — for betting
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ruler — a monarch

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