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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rest — what's left
  3. branch — a division
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rock — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fall — the season
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rash — a series
  15. mug — a face
  16. rest — a break
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. capital — a city

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