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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bound — tied together
  3. staff — employees
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — a stick
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bound — certain
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. roll — a list
  10. capital — a city
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lean — thin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. capital — money
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. staff — employees
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. nail — on a finger

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