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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 116 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. present — there
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. capital — a city
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — the time now
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. dip — to sink
  17. present — a gift
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bark — to shout
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. snap — to click

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