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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. capital — a city
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the fish
  7. tube — a container
  8. suit — in cards
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. shower — to wash
  16. capital — money
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bass — low music

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