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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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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. staff — employees
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. capital — a city
  21. cue — a hint
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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