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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spell — letters
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. capital — a city
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mouse — for a computer

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