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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. capital — a city
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lean — to bend
  7. can — a tin
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. can — to be able to
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — thin

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