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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. capital — a city
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rush — hurry
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. face — to confront
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bound — tied together
  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