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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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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: cold · rest · capital · charge · dip · lie · rush · deal

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. capital — money
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. charge — in control
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rush — hurry
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cold — not warm
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rest — a break
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — an illness
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rest — what's left
  24. capital — a city

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