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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. capital — money
  3. chest — of your body
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chest — a box
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. capital — a city
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chest — of your body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — to sink

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