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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. capital — money
  5. object — to protest
  6. capital — a city
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — the animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. object — a thing
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rock — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rest — a break
  24. racket — for tennis

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