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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. firm — decided
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. capital — money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — a company
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. suit — clothes
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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