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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · capital · temple · pass · clip · bulb · leaves · board

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — to cut
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. clip — a video
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. board — to get on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pass — to spend time

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