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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. face — to confront
  6. can — to be able to
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. can — a tin
  12. capital — money
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. face — part of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pit — a hole
  24. safe — a strongbox

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