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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. season — of the year
  3. rock — a stone
  4. capital — a city
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bore — to drill
  8. current — of water
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — in sport
  15. capital — money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. current — happening now
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bore — to tire
  20. current — electric
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rock — music

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