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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lean — thin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rule — government
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. suit — clothes
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. toast — bread
  19. rule — a law
  20. lean — to bend
  21. season — of the year
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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