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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: land · tube · lash · capital · charge · field · lie · can

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. land — a country
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — to be able to
  11. field — a subject
  12. charge — a price
  13. field — farmland
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. field — for sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. tube — the underground
  24. capital — a city

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