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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. staff — employees
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. swing — music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. capital — money
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — a trail
  23. capital — a city
  24. fine — all right

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