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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. capital — money
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. snap — to click
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. capital — a city
  16. lie — to recline
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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