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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. firm — a company
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fall — the season
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — low music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bass — the fish
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. capital — money
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. branch — of a bank

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