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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — a city
  8. bank — of a river
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rule — a law
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rule — government
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rule — to rule out

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