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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. last — final
  4. chip — for betting
  5. last — to go on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. capital — money
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — finally
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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