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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · cabinet · spring · board · present · bore · sharp · capital

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. present — a gift
  3. capital — money
  4. sharp — clever
  5. capital — a city
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. board — a committee
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bore — to tire
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spring — the season
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. present — the time now
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spring — of water
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. board — to get on
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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