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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. file — a document
  3. capital — money
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rash — a series
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. land — to come down
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. key — in music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. capital — a city
  19. land — ground
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lean — thin
  23. drill — army training
  24. key — for a lock

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