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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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468
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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. capital — money
  6. ball — a dance
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. capital — a city
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — a gift
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. tear — from crying
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tear — from crying
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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