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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. drill — the tool
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rock — music
  8. race — humankind
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. drill — army training
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — a stone
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. capital — money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bulb — for light

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