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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — a face
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a city
  16. spell — magic
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. club — a group
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bank — of a river
  23. club — for golf
  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