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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. snap — to click
  9. root — of a word
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fine — all right
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. capital — a city
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. capital — money
  24. lie — an untruth

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