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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 124 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bore — to drill
  8. drill — the tool
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spell — magic
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. spell — letters
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. capital — a city
  22. spell — a short time
  23. chair — a leader
  24. capital — money

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