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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.

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: root · last · present · ball · capital · lean · pass · cabinet

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. present — a gift
  5. ball — a great time
  6. present — the time now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. capital — a city
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lean — thin
  14. last — finally
  15. root — the cause
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lean — to bend
  21. present — there
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. root — of a word
  24. pass — to succeed

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