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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. suit — clothes
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. capital — a city
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. capital — money
  13. charge — electricity
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fall — the season

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