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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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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: clip · cue · capital · chest · object · firm · lie · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. lie — to recline
  7. clip — a video
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cue — a hint
  11. firm — steady
  12. chest — a box
  13. capital — money
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. object — a thing
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cue — for pool
  20. capital — a city
  21. object — an aim
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — to protest

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