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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: season · rush · tear · capital · mine · bay · lie · march

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — a city
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. season — in sport
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. march — music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — of the year
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. march — the month
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. tear — to rip

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