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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. capital — a city
  6. staff — employees
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. suit — clothes
  9. capital — money
  10. staff — a stick
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wake — a trail
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rash — a series

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