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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. capital — a city
  4. march — music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. march — the month
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. capital — money
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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