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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: capital · bay · lie · pit · lash · staff · wound · track

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — employees
  3. lie — to recline
  4. capital — money
  5. track — a path
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. track — a song
  19. wound — an injury
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pit — a hole

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