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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. capital — money
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — to recline
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. capital — a city
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. dip — to sink
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. snap — to click
  22. rest — what's left
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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