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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. spell — letters
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. capital — a city
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spell — magic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. hand — help
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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