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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 120 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: rule · capital · stick · bound · lie · arm · current · present

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. capital — a city
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. present — the time now
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bound — tied together
  8. capital — money
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — happening now
  11. present — a gift
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. lie — to recline
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — there
  18. current — of water
  19. bound — certain
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. current — electric
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bound — obliged
  24. arm — part of the body

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