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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 124 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. row — a line
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. snap — to click
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wake — a trail
  20. row — to paddle
  21. swing — in golf
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. suit — in cards
  24. swing — to play on

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