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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cap — of ice
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. court — for sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — of a king
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. court — of law
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — a lid
  16. capital — money
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cap — a hat
  19. face — to confront
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. firm — a company
  22. capital — a city
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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