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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. capital — money
  4. rash — hasty
  5. tube — a container
  6. capital — a city
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rash — a series
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cold — an illness
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. tube — the underground
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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