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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. capital — a city
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. land — ground
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fork — in a road
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. capital — money
  21. cue — for pool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fork — to eat with

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