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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · calf · land · spring · stick · rule · capital · game

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. land — to come down
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rule — a law
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. capital — a city
  13. spring — of water
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. game — wild animals
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — government
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — to recline
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. game — a match
  24. capital — money

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