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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. capital — a city
  4. rest — what's left
  5. object — an aim
  6. rest — a break
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. object — to protest
  11. track — a song
  12. capital — money
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — a path
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. object — a thing
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rule — government
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cap — a lid

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