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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. track — to keep track
  5. staff — a stick
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. capital — a city
  11. track — a path
  12. staff — employees
  13. fall — the season
  14. staff — employees
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fall — to drop
  17. track — a song
  18. season — of the year
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. fall — to drop

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