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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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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: object · capital · firm · wound · mug · rock · wake · ground

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mug — a face
  6. firm — a company
  7. object — a thing
  8. capital — a city
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ground — crushed
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. ground — a position
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — music
  20. capital — money
  21. mug — a cup
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. firm — steady

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