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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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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: capital · cue · fine · pit · lie · rock · shower · bulb

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fine — all right
  3. cue — a signal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cue — for pool
  6. capital — money
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pit — a hole
  17. shower — rain
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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