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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — in cards
  4. file — a document
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lean — to bend
  21. club — for dancing
  22. hand — help
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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