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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: mate · lie · capital · tear · leaves · pit · safe · coach

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mate — a partner
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. tear — to rip
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — in a race
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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