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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — help
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. capital — money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kick — in football
  10. wake — a trail
  11. capital — a city
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bear — the animal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. kid — child
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. kick — with a leg

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