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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mug — to rob
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spell — magic
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mug — a cup
  10. capital — money
  11. firm — steady
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spell — letters
  15. mug — a face
  16. firm — decided
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. firm — a company
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. capital — a city
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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