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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. capital — money
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mark — a grade
  5. capital — a city
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bass — the fish
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bass — low music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fan — to cool the air

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