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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — a practice
  9. saw — the tool
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. drill — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. drill — army training
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — clever
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — money

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