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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bore — to drill
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. game — a match
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wax — to grow
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. capital — money
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — wild animals
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. perch — the fish

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