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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bark — to shout
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. capital — money
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. capital — a city
  18. swing — music
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. swing — in golf

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