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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 120 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: straw · mark · last · hand · firm · hide · capital · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. firm — a company
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. capital — money
  8. firm — steady
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — decided
  11. last — to go on
  12. hand — help
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hand — in cards
  15. last — finally
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. capital — a city
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. last — final
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mark — a trace

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