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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
468
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: stock · vault · capital · calf · lie · bulb · bore · clip

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. clip — for paper
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — shares
  8. capital — money
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. clip — a video
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. capital — a city
  22. bore — to tire
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stock — goods

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