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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. hand — help
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. net — after costs
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lie — to recline
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bank — for money
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — of the year
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. net — for catching
  17. season — in sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. capital — money
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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