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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. firm — a company
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. last — finally
  6. firm — steady
  7. clip — to cut
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — decided
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. charge — in control
  15. clip — a video
  16. last — final
  17. clip — for paper
  18. capital — money
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — electricity
  21. last — to go on
  22. capital — a city
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. charge — a price

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