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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. club — for golf
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. capital — a city
  5. tear — from crying
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stock — shares
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. tear — from crying
  15. club — for dancing
  16. tear — to rip
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. capital — money
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. club — a group
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stock — goods
  24. foot — a measure

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