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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — obliged
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bound — certain
  18. cue — for pool
  19. date — the fruit
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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