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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. board — to get on
  5. bank — for money
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. shower — rain
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chair — a leader
  13. board — a committee
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lie — to recline
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. shower — to wash
  22. can — a tin
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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