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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. row — a line
  4. staff — employees
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. object — to protest
  12. staff — employees
  13. perch — the fish
  14. staff — a stick
  15. object — an aim
  16. wake — a trail
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. object — a thing
  19. snap — to click
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. capital — a city
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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