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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. firm — decided
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — money
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — certain
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — steady
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. firm — a company
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — a city

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