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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mug — a face
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. key — in music
  10. capital — money
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cell — in biology
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mug — to rob
  19. capital — a city
  20. mate — a partner
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bear — the animal

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