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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. firm — decided
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — a stone
  7. firm — steady
  8. capital — money
  9. fall — the season
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — music
  14. bound — certain
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — obliged
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. firm — a company
  24. bound — tied together

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