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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stock — goods
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. capital — money
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — a short time
  13. last — finally
  14. spell — letters
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. last — final
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — magic
  23. capital — a city
  24. stock — shares

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