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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. capital — a city
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. current — of water
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. capital — money
  16. lie — to recline
  17. current — happening now
  18. wake — a trail
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. current — electric
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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