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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. capital — money
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. dip — to sink
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fall — the season
  23. capital — a city
  24. mouse — for a computer

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