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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — a city
  8. season — of the year
  9. track — a path
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. season — in sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. track — a song

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