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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: rest · staff · kick · leaves · capital · fall · pound · hide

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rest — a break
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — in football
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rest — what's left
  15. capital — money
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. capital — a city
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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