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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — thin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rush — hurry
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pop — to visit
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. capital — money
  23. can — a tin
  24. trunk — of a car

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