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

Word bank: file · arm · hide · leaves · pass · capital · chest · tear

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. capital — a city
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. capital — money
  13. file — a document
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pass — a permit
  19. file — a line of people
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. file — a tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. arm — part of the body

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