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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bass — low music
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lie — to recline
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. spell — magic
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — to sink

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