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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — of water
  6. drill — army training
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. capital — money
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — a city
  19. spring — the season
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stand — on your feet

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