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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. squash — to crush
  4. capital — money
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. suit — to fit
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. band — a music group
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. squash — the sport
  16. capital — a city
  17. suit — in cards
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — clothes
  20. band — a ring
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hide — to keep secret

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