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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rush — hurry
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rock — music
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. snap — to click
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bank — for money
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rock — a stone
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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