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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bore — to tire
  8. capital — a city
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. land — ground
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. land — a country
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. land — to come down
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lean — to bend
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lean — thin
  24. bore — to drill

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