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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. charge — a price
  6. can — to be able to
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tear — from crying
  9. charge — electricity
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. tear — from crying
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. charge — in control
  14. saw — the tool
  15. last — to go on
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. content — the amount
  19. capital — a city
  20. can — a tin
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. content — happy
  24. tear — to rip

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