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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 116 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: stand · capital · leaves · craft · saw · cold · dip · ball

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ball — a dance
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — the tool
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cold — an illness
  12. capital — a city
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. dip — to sink
  19. capital — money
  20. ball — a great time
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stand — to bear
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stand — for spectators

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