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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. capital — money
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bound — certain
  6. season — in sport
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fall — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mate — to breed
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. bound — obliged
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. rash — hasty
  22. capital — a city
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mine — an explosive

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