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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. capital — money
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mug — a cup
  6. band — a ring
  7. face — to confront
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. band — a music group
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wake — a trail
  20. vault — a safe
  21. face — part of the head
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mug — a face

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