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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. suit — clothes
  3. drill — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ground — crushed
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rash — hasty
  9. drill — army training
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. ground — the earth
  12. suit — in cards
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. drill — a practice
  15. dip — to sink
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ground — a position
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rash — a series
  24. capital — money

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