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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. capital — money
  3. spell — magic
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. spell — a short time
  10. club — for dancing
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. club — for golf
  14. lean — to bend
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. club — a group
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — letters
  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