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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitch — completely
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. staff — a stick
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. key — in music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. staff — employees
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fall — to drop
  18. staff — employees
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. key — for a lock
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fall — the season
  24. saw — the tool

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