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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. key — for a lock
  3. capital — money
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rash — a series
  7. lean — thin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fine — all right
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. capital — a city
  12. key — in music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fine — high quality
  19. tear — to rip
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — exactly

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