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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · lie · chair · lean · tube · capital · bowl · pop

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — a container
  7. pop — soda
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chair — a leader
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. capital — money
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pop — music
  20. lean — thin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bowl — a dish

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