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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. content — the amount
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. capital — a city
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lie — to recline
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chair — a leader
  18. tear — to rip
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. content — happy

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