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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 116 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. face — to confront
  3. firm — decided
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. capital — money
  11. rush — hurry
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fork — in a road
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lean — to bend
  22. firm — a company
  23. vault — a safe
  24. firm — steady

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