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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. capital — a city
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stand — to bear
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. kick — in football
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. capital — money
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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