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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: straw · leaves · bay · wake · fine · capital · season · sharp

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fine — all right
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. capital — money
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fine — high quality
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. season — in sport
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. season — of the year
  24. capital — a city

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