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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. face — to confront
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. suit — to fit
  6. land — to come down
  7. bore — to tire
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. object — an aim
  10. capital — a city
  11. key — in music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. suit — clothes
  16. object — to protest
  17. land — a country
  18. object — a thing
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. face — part of the head
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. suit — in cards
  24. face — to point toward

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