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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — the cause
  6. fall — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. capital — a city
  11. cell — in biology
  12. capital — money
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cell — a phone
  22. root — of a word
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. coach — a trainer

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