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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. capital — money
  5. file — a document
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. capital — a city
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stock — shares
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. bound — certain
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. calf — a young animal

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