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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. face — to point toward
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. capital — a city
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — money
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. suit — clothes
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. face — to confront
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — part of the head
  20. tear — from crying
  21. suit — to fit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ball — a great time

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