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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. capital — a city
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. present — a gift
  17. rule — government
  18. capital — money
  19. sharp — clever
  20. land — a country
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rule — a law

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