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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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468
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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. capital — money
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. capital — a city
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chair — a leader
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. swing — music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. swing — in golf
  22. snap — to click
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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