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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. firm — a company
  4. chest — of your body
  5. present — there
  6. capital — money
  7. pit — a hole
  8. present — a gift
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. present — the time now
  13. craft — a skill
  14. chest — a box
  15. firm — steady
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. craft — boats
  18. wax — to grow
  19. capital — a city
  20. chest — of your body
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. firm — decided
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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