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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spell — a short time
  4. capital — money
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — a city
  8. content — happy
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spell — magic
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. content — the amount
  23. spell — letters
  24. suit — in cards

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