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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: capital · cabinet · bear · bay · wind · lie · hide · tube

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. capital — a city
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wind — moving air
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lie — to recline
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — money
  19. tube — a container
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — to turn a key

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