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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rock — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. stock — shares
  8. capital — a city
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. row — a line
  18. stock — goods
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. capital — money
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. foot — a measure
  24. leaves — to go away

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