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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 116 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: tube · mine · ruler · rock · fall · key · capital · lean

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lean — thin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. tube — a container
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fall — the season
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fall — to drop
  15. key — in music
  16. rock — music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — the underground
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — for digging

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