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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — certain
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. field — a subject
  13. march — the month
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. capital — a city
  17. march — the month
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — music
  22. bound — tied together
  23. capital — money
  24. suit — clothes

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