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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pound — a weight
  3. capital — money
  4. fall — to drop
  5. file — a document
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mug — a face
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. capital — a city
  13. mug — to rob
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fall — the season
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. file — a tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — happy
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lie — an untruth

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