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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. capital — a city
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chair — a leader
  5. toast — bread
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — army training
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — money
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. branch — a division
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chair — to sit on

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