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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.

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: can · capital · ruler · hide · cold · mouse · pop · lie

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. cold — not warm
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pop — soda
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. capital — a city
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pop — music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cold — an illness
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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