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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. file — a tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. snap — to click
  14. capital — a city
  15. content — happy
  16. suit — in cards
  17. file — a document
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — the amount
  24. lie — to recline

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