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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tube — a container
  8. land — a country
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. land — to come down
  13. pass — a permit
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. capital — a city
  23. suit — clothes
  24. land — ground

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