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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 124 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. capital — money
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. object — a thing
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cold — not warm
  7. object — an aim
  8. capital — a city
  9. key — in music
  10. fall — the season
  11. rash — a series
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — to protest
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — hasty
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wake — a trail

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