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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a music group
  3. capital — a city
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rush — hurry
  9. kick — in football
  10. fine — all right
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fall — the season
  14. band — a ring
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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