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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: lie · capital · race · roll · squash · bore · object · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bore — to drill
  3. squash — the sport
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. capital — money
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. roll — a cake
  14. race — a contest
  15. squash — to crush
  16. race — the arms race
  17. object — to protest
  18. lie — to recline
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rule — a law
  22. capital — a city
  23. race — humankind
  24. bore — to tire

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