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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. capital — money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. staff — employees
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a great time
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ball — a dance

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