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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. land — ground
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. capital — money
  9. land — a country
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ground — a position
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — the earth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. land — to come down
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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