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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. last — finally
  3. mug — a face
  4. capital — money
  5. ground — a position
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. last — to go on
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. roll — a cake
  11. capital — a city
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ground — crushed
  15. kick — in football
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. roll — a list
  22. object — a thing
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. last — final

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