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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fall — the season
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — steady
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — certain
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. firm — decided
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — magic
  17. bound — obliged
  18. capital — money
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spell — a short time
  21. firm — a company
  22. spell — letters
  23. capital — a city
  24. rush — to hurry

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