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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. land — ground
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. capital — money
  18. land — a country
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — in control
  21. land — to come down
  22. charge — a price
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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