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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cue — a hint
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. field — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — hasty
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — a series
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. field — a subject
  23. capital — a city
  24. field — farmland

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