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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. face — to confront
  5. capital — a city
  6. root — the cause
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hand — in cards
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. root — of a plant
  13. face — part of the head
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bound — certain
  16. root — of a word
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bound — tied together
  19. capital — money
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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