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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wound — an injury
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — money
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. capital — a city
  19. present — there
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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