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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. capital — money
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rush — hurry
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. game — a match
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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