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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. squash — to crush
  5. current — happening now
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. suit — to fit
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. current — electric
  12. drill — army training
  13. squash — the sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. capital — a city
  16. current — of water
  17. suit — clothes
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. row — to paddle
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. row — a line
  23. capital — money
  24. arm — part of the body

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