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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: leaves · capital · racket · ruler · chest · ground · lie · craft

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chest — of your body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. capital — a city
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. capital — money
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chest — a box
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ground — crushed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. craft — a skill
  24. leaves — of a tree

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