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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rest — a break
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — in a race
  11. capital — a city
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lean — thin
  16. capital — money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to rest against

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