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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. track — a path
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — in biology
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bore — to drill
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. track — a song
  21. snap — to click
  22. track — to keep track
  23. capital — a city
  24. bore — to tire

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