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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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 big letter
  2. swing — music
  3. capital — a city
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rule — government
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. snap — to click
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kid — to tease
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rule — a law
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. kid — child
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  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