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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. content — happy
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. content — the amount
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. craft — boats
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. capital — money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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