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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rush — hurry
  4. staff — employees
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pass — a permit
  8. capital — a city
  9. staff — employees
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. staff — a stick
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cap — a lid
  15. capital — money
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. object — an aim

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