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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. capital — money
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. sharp — clever
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. key — the most important part
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. key — in music
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. key — for a lock
  18. capital — a city
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. sharp — exactly

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