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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.

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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 · capital · race · stick · hide · fall · firm · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. capital — a city
  7. firm — decided
  8. fall — to drop
  9. race — humankind
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. capital — money
  12. race — the arms race
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. ball — a dance
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — a company
  18. lie — to recline
  19. firm — steady
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. race — a contest
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lie — an untruth

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