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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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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: tear · lash · mark · lie · capital · board · key · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — to recline
  7. key — in music
  8. board — a committee
  9. capital — money
  10. key — the most important part
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. board — to get on
  21. capital — a city
  22. tear — to rip
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a trace

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