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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. capital — a city
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. capital — money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — the tool

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