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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rash — a series
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rash — hasty
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wind — moving air
  12. row — a line
  13. capital — a city
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cabinet — ministers

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