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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. land — to come down
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cue — a hint
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cue — a signal
  18. land — a country
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. capital — money
  24. land — ground

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