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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pit — in a race
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bear — the animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bear — the animal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. capital — a city
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wake — a trail
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bay — a horse colour

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