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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. object — a thing
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. object — an aim
  7. bound — certain
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fall — the season
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. drill — army training
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. object — to protest
  24. capital — a city

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