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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. capital — money
  5. can — to be able to
  6. capital — a city
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. can — a tin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. shower — rain
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. nail — for a hammer

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