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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.

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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 · chair · tear · hand · deal · ruler · lie · staff

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — money
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hand — help
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. staff — employees
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. tear — to rip
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tear — from crying

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