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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: capital · sharp · suit · last · lie · bay · spell · court

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — for sport
  3. capital — a city
  4. court — of a king
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. suit — to fit
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. court — of law
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — letters
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. capital — money
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. suit — in cards
  21. last — finally
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. suit — clothes

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