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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — the arms race
  5. capital — a city
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. capital — money
  8. wax — to grow
  9. toast — bread
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. land — a country
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. race — humankind
  19. land — to come down
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — hurry
  22. race — a contest
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — a monarch

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