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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mate — to breed
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. capital — a city
  20. mate — a partner
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wind — to turn a key

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