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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fall — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fall — to drop
  7. capital — a city
  8. snap — to click
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. staff — employees
  11. spring — of water
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — the season
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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