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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. net — in sport
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pass — a permit
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. net — for catching
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. net — after costs
  13. shower — rain
  14. wake — a trail
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bore — to tire
  21. capital — money
  22. bore — to drill
  23. face — to point toward
  24. capital — a city

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