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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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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: stick · bulb · present · dip · capital · straw · mate · leaves

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. present — there
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. present — the time now
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. present — a gift
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mate — a partner
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. capital — money

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