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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wind — moving air
  3. capital — a city
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rest — a break
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rest — what's left

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