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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. capital — money
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. net — for catching
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. net — in sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ground — the earth
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. capital — a city
  22. net — after costs
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rock — to move gently

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