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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. scale — in music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — to keep track
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. track — a path
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. content — happy
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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