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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. capital — a city
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mug — a face
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. capital — money
  23. fall — the season
  24. nail — on a finger

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