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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. season — in sport
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. season — of the year
  10. fall — the season
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — to bear
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. suit — to fit
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fall — to drop
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — clothes
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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