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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. clip — for paper
  3. lean — thin
  4. clip — to cut
  5. current — electric
  6. capital — money
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. clip — a video
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — to bend
  20. current — happening now
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. current — of water
  24. capital — a big letter

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