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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. capital — a city
  3. object — an aim
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. object — a thing
  12. wax — to grow
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. capital — money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pit — a hole
  24. temple — a place of worship

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