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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.

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: fine · capital · scale · spell · hide · tear · lie · game

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. scale — in music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. spell — letters
  8. tear — from crying
  9. game — a match
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. capital — a city
  12. spell — magic
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. capital — money
  15. fine — all right
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lie — to recline
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. game — wild animals
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. tear — from crying
  24. spell — a short time

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