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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — the season
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. suit — clothes
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fall — to drop
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ground — the earth
  13. capital — a city
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — a line
  17. fine — high quality
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — a position
  23. capital — money
  24. leaves — lets stay

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