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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hand — in cards
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. hand — help
  8. spell — magic
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spell — letters
  14. charge — a price
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. charge — in control
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spell — a short time
  20. perch — the fish
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mug — a face
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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