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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. capital — a city
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fall — the season
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — a committee
  8. can — to be able to
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. capital — money
  14. fall — to drop
  15. can — a tin
  16. board — to get on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bore — to drill
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — all right

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