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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. capital — a city
  3. march — the month
  4. bore — to tire
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. prune — to trim
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — decided
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. march — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. firm — steady
  24. capital — money

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