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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · rush · capital · present · ruler · bear · track · straw

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. present — there
  4. rush — hurry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. capital — a city
  7. track — a song
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — of the year
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. present — the time now
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bear — the animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. capital — money
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. track — a path
  24. ruler — for measuring

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