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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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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: wake · season · capital · hide · ball · firm · bore · clip

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. capital — money
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bore — to drill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. capital — a city
  10. firm — decided
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. firm — a company
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wake — a trail
  18. clip — a video
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. firm — steady
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. season — of the year
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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