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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.

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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. deal — to handle
  3. capital — money
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lean — thin
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — to bend
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — a city
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bank — of a river
  24. spell — letters

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