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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bound — certain
  4. race — the arms race
  5. capital — a city
  6. face — to confront
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — a hint
  9. hand — in cards
  10. charge — a price
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. charge — in control
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cue — for pool
  17. race — humankind
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hand — help
  22. charge — electricity
  23. race — a contest
  24. bound — obliged

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