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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. capital — money
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rush — hurry
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chip — in a computer

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