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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — happening now
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cell — in biology
  6. capital — money
  7. charge — in control
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. current — of water
  11. cell — a phone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. scale — size or range
  19. current — electric
  20. capital — a city
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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