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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. capital — a city
  3. net — for catching
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — after costs
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rush — hurry
  20. net — in sport
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. capital — money
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mouse — the animal

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