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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. spring — of water
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. root — of a word
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cap — of ice
  7. spring — a coil
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. capital — a city
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pass — a permit
  20. roll — a list
  21. capital — money
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spring — the season
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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