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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. club — a group
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. capital — a city
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spell — letters
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bark — to shout
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. spell — magic
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fall — to drop
  24. capital — money

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