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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. capital — money
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. capital — a city
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mate — a partner
  10. plane — a tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. game — a match
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wax — to grow
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — a friend
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. capital — a big letter

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