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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: date · rest · hide · capital · bark · wave · suit · chair

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rest — what's left
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rest — a break
  19. bark — to shout
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. date — the fruit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. date — on the calendar

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