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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. face — to confront
  4. bank — of a river
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bank — for money
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. dip — to sink
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rock — music
  16. capital — money
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bank — for money
  19. cold — not warm
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. capital — a city
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. squash — the sport

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