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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
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: lie · capital · mark · land · bear · ball · fall · nail

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fall — the season
  6. capital — a city
  7. ball — a great time
  8. land — to come down
  9. bear — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mark — a trace
  14. land — a country
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ball — a dance
  23. capital — money
  24. ball — a round shape

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