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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rest — a break
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. present — the time now
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. present — there
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — a gift
  18. capital — money
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. toast — bread

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