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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. present — there
  6. dip — to sink
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. content — happy
  9. capital — money
  10. present — the time now
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. race — humankind
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. race — the arms race
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. toast — bread
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. race — a contest
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a city
  23. content — the amount
  24. toast — the most admired

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