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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. wake — a trail
  3. key — in music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. key — for a lock
  24. face — to confront

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