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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 116 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. scale — in music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rash — hasty
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. capital — money
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. squash — the sport
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rash — a series

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