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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ball — a great time
  4. capital — money
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — a series
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. ball — a dance
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. object — a thing
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pass — a permit
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. object — to protest

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