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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. spring — of water
  3. capital — money
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. capital — a city
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fall — the season
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. safe — out of danger

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