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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.

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: key · tube · band · season · capital · bulb · lie · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. capital — a city
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — for a lock
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. capital — money
  8. band — a ring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a music group
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lie — to recline
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. key — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. key — the most important part
  23. season — in sport
  24. tube — the underground

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