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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. capital — a city
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bulb — for light
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. capital — money
  16. snap — to click
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mug — a face
  24. leaves — to go away

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