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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. capital — a city
  5. face — part of the head
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. charge — a price
  8. capital — money
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. land — to come down
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. sharp — clever
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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