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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cell — a phone
  14. capital — money
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mug — a face
  21. clip — for paper
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wave — of the sea

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