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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — magic
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. capital — a city
  10. spell — letters
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rest — a break

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