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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lie — to recline
  7. capital — money
  8. mate — a friend
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. capital — a city
  13. tube — a container
  14. roll — a cake
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mate — a partner
  24. tube — the underground

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