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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rush — hurry
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. capital — a city
  24. lie — to recline

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