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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spell — letters
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lean — thin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fine — all right
  12. lean — to bend
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rule — a law
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wax — to grow
  17. capital — money
  18. fine — high quality
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — a stone
  22. capital — a city
  23. rule — government
  24. date — on the calendar

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