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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 120 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: lie · mark · tube · capital · race · hide · firm · snap

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to click
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lie — to recline
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. capital — a city
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. race — humankind
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. race — a contest
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. capital — money

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