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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rash — a series
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. suit — in cards
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. capital — money
  16. mine — for digging
  17. suit — to fit
  18. court — of a king
  19. capital — a city
  20. court — of law
  21. rash — hasty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. court — for sport

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