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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. capital — money
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. capital — a city
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lean — thin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lean — to bend
  13. can — a tin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. degree — an amount
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wound — an injury

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