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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 116 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: fork · capital · tear · mug · lie · board · mate · firm

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. tear — from crying
  4. capital — money
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mug — to rob
  11. capital — a city
  12. firm — steady
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a partner
  17. firm — decided
  18. board — a committee
  19. fork — in a road
  20. firm — a company
  21. mug — a face
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — to recline

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