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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: capital · rash · lie · ball · race · wound · sharp · foot

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. race — the arms race
  4. foot — a measure
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rash — a series
  7. race — a contest
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. race — humankind
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a dance
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — exactly

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