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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. capital — money
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wake — a trail
  6. board — a committee
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fall — the season
  13. capital — a city
  14. firm — decided
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. firm — a company
  23. rest — a break
  24. firm — steady

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