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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. fall — to drop
  3. drill — army training
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fall — the season
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fine — all right
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. capital — money
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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