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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. last — finally
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — a city
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bass — low music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — final
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. face — to confront
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — to go on
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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