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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 124 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. current — of water
  8. capital — money
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. current — happening now
  11. fall — the season
  12. season — in sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. current — electric
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — hurry
  19. charge — electricity
  20. capital — a city
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — of the year
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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