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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cold — not warm
  4. rest — what's left
  5. capital — a city
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — to protest
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rest — a break
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. object — an aim
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. object — a thing
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. capital — money

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