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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. spell — letters
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. march — the month
  6. craft — boats
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spell — a short time
  13. tear — to rip
  14. march — the month
  15. capital — money
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. capital — a city
  22. spell — magic
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. march — music

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