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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. capital — a city
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. last — to go on
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — finally
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. capital — money
  23. pass — a permit
  24. last — final

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