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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. capital — a city
  3. current — electric
  4. lie — to recline
  5. current — of water
  6. capital — money
  7. race — the arms race
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — a gift
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. race — humankind
  17. current — happening now
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — there
  23. race — a contest
  24. mouse — for a computer

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