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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — not warm
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. squash — the sport
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. lie — to recline
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pop — music
  15. bound — certain
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — a break
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. can — a tin
  24. pop — soda

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